Chapter 65 - Breaking the Game

The team sprinted through the ruined hallway, the scent of burnt metal and smoke lingering in the air. The explosion had disrupted the shifting walls, but alarms continued blaring, signaling that Shiro still had control over the facility.

Tora's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Alright, listen up. The power room is two floors down, but Shiro won't make it easy. Expect heavy resistance."

Ryuuji grinned. "Good. I was getting bored."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Focus. We need to reach the power room before the gas spreads."

Sai led the way, his sharp eyes scanning for ambushes. Kuro darted ahead, slipping through vents, his glowing eyes barely visible in the dim lighting.

Just as they reached the stairwell, metal doors slammed shut behind them. A robotic voice announced, "Intruders detected. Initiating elimination protocol."

Turrets dropped from the ceiling, their barrels locking onto them.

"Of course," Sai muttered.

Ryuuji dove behind cover as the turrets fired, bullets ricocheting off the metal walls. Mira pulled out a small device, hacking into the system.

"I need thirty seconds to disable them!" she shouted.

"Don't have thirty seconds!" Hotaru slashed through the air, sending a throwing knife straight into one of the turret's sensors. It sparked, malfunctioning.

Sai moved like a ghost, dodging bullets with precise footwork before slicing through the next turret with his dagger.

Ryuuji, laughing, flipped over a railing, grabbing onto a pipe before landing behind another turret. He jammed his knife into its base, destroying it instantly.

Mira smirked. "Done." The remaining turrets powered down, their barrels smoking.

Tora whistled through the comms. "Damn. That was stylish."

Hotaru dusted herself off. "No time to celebrate. Move."

They rushed down the stairs, but as they reached the power room's entrance, the floor beneath them rumbled. The walls parted, revealing a massive mechanical guardian—Shiro's final defense.

A towering humanoid machine stood before them, its red eyes glowing menacingly.

Shiro's voice echoed through the speakers. "You made it this far, but this is where you die."

Sai twirled his dagger. "We'll see about that."

Hotaru cracked her knuckles. "Let's break your toy, Shiro."

To be continued…

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